


Too Long to Wait: The Pony

by claudia603



Series: Too Long to Wait [10]
Category: Lord of the Rings (2001 2002 2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic, Hurt/Comfort, Interspecies, M/M, Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-18
Updated: 2010-04-18
Packaged: 2017-10-09 00:33:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/81098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudia603/pseuds/claudia603
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A minor accident frightens Aragorn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Long to Wait: The Pony

If the guardsmen hadn't ridden past so quickly, Samwise the   
pony would not have startled and knocked Frodo off balance,   
and Frodo would not be on hands and scraped knees on the   
stones of the Upper circle of Minas Tirith, gasping for   
breath.

Three guards ran to him.

"Are you injured, Master Halfling?" A strong hand gripped   
his arm and helped him to his feet. Another guard captured   
Samwise's reins. The nervous pony resisted, yanking at the   
reins, but two guards worked to calm him.

Frodo caught his breath, holding his vest in his fist, his   
legs trembling. He didn't think he was injured outside of   
the scrapes. He had caught himself before he hit his   
protruding belly, but the fall had jarred his body. He   
swallowed fearfully, his hands seeking his abdomen.

The guard who had helped Frodo to his feet glanced   
nervously at Frodo's abdomen. "Come, let us get you back   
to your bed and send for the healer just to be safe. May I   
carry you? I think that might be wise."

Normally Frodo would be mortified by such attention, but   
this time he swallowed his protests. He needed to take it   
easy until Koslorn declared for certain that no harm had   
come to the baby in being jarred like that. At least he   
hoped Koslorn would be the one to come. He could only   
imagine how frantic Aragorn would be.

"Thank you," Frodo said gratefully to the guard.

The kind guard cradled him in his arms, careful not to   
jostle him as he swiftly walked up the many stairs to Frodo   
and Aragorn's quarters. Frodo's legs felt weak and shaky,   
and he realized just how close he had come to badly   
injuring himself and probably losing the baby. If he had   
not caught himself...if Samwise had been going faster...if   
Frodo had been in the path of the riders--

He shuddered.

The guard set Frodo gently into his bed, and Frodo closed   
his eyes in contentment as soon as his head sank into the   
goose feather pillow and the cool sheets covered his heated   
feet. He had never been so grateful to be in his bed.

"Thank you for your trouble." He found that he was so   
sleepy he could barely articulate.

"I will send for the king. Is there anything else you   
require, Master Halfling?"

"No," Frodo said sleepily. "Fetch Koslorn. Do not bother   
Aragorn just yet."

Frodo's closed his eyes again against his will, snuggling   
into the pillow, a content smile on his face.

***

"Frodo."

The terse voice penetrated the dark. Everything shook, like   
an earthquake, like Mount Doom as it had crumbled at the   
end.

"Frodo!"

Frodo's eyes flew open. Aragorn hovered over him, shaking   
his shoulder, that worried crease in his forehead.

"What is it?" Frodo gasped, sitting up in bed, looking   
around in bleary disorientation. Then it came back to him--   
his fall from Samwise and the guard carrying him to his   
chamber. The sun was much lower in the sky. He must have   
napped for hours.

"Koslorn tells me you fell from your pony."

Frodo smiled softly. "I'm not hurt. It was not a long fall   
and I caught myself. But how does Koslorn know? He didn't   
come--"

"He did, but you were in a deep sleep and he did not wish   
to disturb you. He knew that if there had been serious   
injury that you would be awake and in pain." Aragorn shook   
his head, releasing a relieved sigh. "Can you tell me what   
happened?"

Frodo propped himself up on his elbows. "Samwise startled   
when some guardsmen rode past. He has not been ridden   
nearly enough, and he fears fast-moving horses. It was   
nobody's fault."

Aragorn took Frodo's hand. "Thank the Valar you were not   
injured, Frodo. Or the baby." He glanced to Frodo's swollen   
belly. "Are you sure you have not had any pains?"

"No," Frodo said with a smile. "You're too fretful,   
Aragorn. I fell a short distance off a pony, not from a   
precipice."

"All the same, you're not to ride the pony anymore."

Frodo let out a sigh. Normally he would be furious by   
Aragorn's overprotection and bossiness, but he was so   
relieved that nothing had happened to harm the baby that he   
nodded. "That is fair. I will not ride him."

Aragorn glanced at Frodo, uncertain what to make of the   
hobbit's easy acquiescence.


End file.
